If you have created a hobby project database, you have the skills to learn how to query it - it is probably part of your hobby and fun. If not, and if you do not want to open source it to get community support, you are better off cutting out the database part and choosing other technologies.
At work, the situation should not be so different. If your manager cannot provide you with the means to maintain the database according to the business needs, you / your boss / your team / your business / your company have a problem and should better choose technologies that are manageable and/or for which you have enough resources.
You seem to have some pretty detailed understanding of my hobby projects, and the way I enjoy doing them, considering you know neither them nor me!
> If you have created a hobby project database, you have the skills to learn how to query it - it is probably part of your hobby and fun.
Not at all in many cases. Many existing open source projects these days involve a database for better or worse, and I wouldn't enjoy porting their storage layer to something other than whatever database they already use.
I really don't need more engineering rabbit holes to go down in my life, neither at work nor in my free time. I do so by defining loose boundaries labeled "here be time sinks" and only go there if I'm really curious or it seems enjoyable, but not when I'm trying to get something else done.
LLMs have moved these boundaries somewhat, and I believe for the better.
At work, the situation should not be so different. If your manager cannot provide you with the means to maintain the database according to the business needs, you / your boss / your team / your business / your company have a problem and should better choose technologies that are manageable and/or for which you have enough resources.